Joaquim Claret i Vallès

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Joaquim Claret: Repòs (rest, entrance portal of the Camprodon cemetery, copy of the 1916 sculpture)
Joaquim Claret: Wall relief (House Can Titus in the Noucentist style, Camprodon)
Joaquim Claret: Repòs (calm, original figure from 1916, Camprodon, center)

Joaquim Claret i Vallès (born November 21, 1879 in Camprodon , † December 25, 1964 in Olot ) was a Catalan sculptor of the Noucentisme .

education

Joaquim Claret was born in Camprodon in 1879 as the youngest of seven children of the married couple Francesc Claret i Coma and Teresa Vallès . His family ran the Can Cisco coffee shop on Carrer València in the center of Camprodon. His talent for the visual arts was shown early on. He enrolled in Olot's drawing school in 1893 at the age of 13 . His most important teacher there was Josep Berga i Boix . Claret studied in Olot until 1896 and then went to the Llotja in Barcelona for further training . In the Barcelona years he worked alongside his studies as an assistant in various sculptor and scenographic studios. He then completed his military service in the Canary Islands . After completing the same, Claret returned to mainland Spain in 1901 and lived as a sculptor in Camprodon, Olot and Figueres .

Paris

In 1906 Claret went to Paris, which at that time was considered the city ​​of art and culture par excellence. He entered the studio of the well-known sculptor Aristide Maillol , who came from Roussillon , with whom he developed a close friendship. Claret lived in Paris until his wedding in 1914. During these years he was actively involved in the city's most important art and artist circles, even if he kept a great distance from the actual avant-garde. In July 1914 he returned to his homeland for a honeymoon. Because of the outbreak of the First World War , he could not return to Paris until 1920. This year, thanks to the support of Aristide Maillol, the artist and his family were able to settle in Saint-Germain-en-Laye near Paris.

From now on Claret took part in the annual art salons of Paris, in particular that of the Société National des Beaux Arts . His first individual exhibition took place in 1921 in the famous Bernheim-Jeune gallery in Paris. It was a huge hit with both audiences and critics. During these years Claret was also present in Catalan exhibitions, such as the Barcelona artists' association Les Arts i els Artistes and the Associació d'Escultors . Finally, Claret created three sculptures explicitly for the 1929 World's Fair in Barcelona .

Last years

Claret lived intermittently in Saint-Germain-en-Laye until 1940 when German troops occupied Paris. The now 60-year-old sculptor decided to return to Olot in this situation. He worked there until his retirement as an artist for the company " L'Art Cristià " ( Christian Art ). Claret was also a remarkably good watercolorist. He had acquired this ability from Aristide Maillol. High quality watercolors were created especially in his old age, when working with stone and metal became increasingly difficult. A great many drawings and sketches by the artist that served as preliminary studies for sculptures have survived. Joaquim Claret died on Christmas Eve 1964 at the age of 85 in Olot.

Repòs or the rest

The sculpture Repòs , Serenity , created in 1916 for the cemetery of Camprodon from sediment stone , is one of the few large-format works by Joaquim Claret. In the course of its 100-year history, this sculpture has changed its meaning from a mere cemetery figure to an iconic-artistic monument of the municipality of Camprodon. In 2016, the municipal administration made this work of art publicly accessible to its citizens and visitors in the center on a square on Carrer de Catalunya near the Cal Marquès mansion , protected behind glass. A copy of the original sculpture has been installed in the Camprodon cemetery.

To the left of the main female figure, Ruhe , the artist arranged the owl as messenger of death, whose call “Come with me!” Can almost be heard from the sculpture. To the right of the rest , the expired hourglass shows the hour of death.

Further works by the artist can be found in museums in France, Barcelona, ​​Girona and Olot.

Rating

Claret was the master of small sculpture. He created almost exclusively female sculptures. He used a wide variety of materials and techniques, often terracotta and cast bronze. He also created directly carved marble statues. His style of excellent small figures is derived from the work of Aristide Maillol. At the same time, Claret was the indispensable, highly gifted craftsman in Maillol's studio. Claret and Maillol worked closely together on many works of art. The exact division of labor between the two artists has not yet been precisely researched. Claret is a representative of the fine, elegant Mediterraneanism, which is formally linked to the Noucentisme .

Private

Claret was married to Anna Aymerich i Carreras. The couple had two children, son Manuel and daughter Dolors. Daughter Dolors Claret (also called Lola Claret, 1918-2001) was a portrait painter known in Olot.

literature

  • Enciclopèdia Catalana: Claret i Vallès, Joaquim . In: Gran enciclopèdia catalana. 2nd edition 5th reprint 1992. Volume 7 . Enciclopèdia catalana, Barcelona 1987, ISBN 84-85194-95-0 , p. 340 (Catalan).
  • Hèlios Rubio et al .: Art de Catalunya (Ars Cataloniae) . Joaquim Claret i Vallès. 1st edition. tape 7 /16 (Escultura moderna i Contemporània). Edicions L'Isard, Barcelona 1998, ISBN 84-89931-03-8 , pp. 204 . There the image of his stone sculpture “Repos” (calm) at the entrance portal of the main cemetery of Camprodon
  • Josep Maria Canals: Diccionari Biogràfic d'Olot; Article “Claret i Vallès, Joaquim” . Ed .: Ajuntament d'Olot. 1st edition. Olot 2015, OCLC 943687866 , p. 219 f . (Catalan).
  • Museu dels Sants d'Olot, Museu Comarcal de la Garrotxa d'Olot, Institut de Cultura de la Ciutat d'Olot (editor): Joaquim Claret . Escultor de la Mediterrània (1879–1964) Exhibition catalog with texts by Cristina Rodriguez Samaniego et al. 1st edition. Olot 2010, ISBN 978-84-936974-9-5 .

Web links

Commons : Joaquim Claret i Vallès  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Date of birth according to: Cristina Rodriguez Samaniego: Ricard Guinó et Joaquim Claret. 2011. Date of death according to information from Cristina Rodriguez Samaniego in: Museu dels Sants d'Olot, Museu Comarcal de la Garrotxa d'Olot, Institut de Cultura de la Ciutat d'Olot (editor): Joaquim Claret, escultor de la Mediterrània, 1879 - 1964: Joaquim Claret. Escultor de la Mediterrània, Olot 2010, page 17.
  2. ^ Josep Maria Canals: Diccionari Biogràfic d'Olot . Ed .: Ajuntament d'Olot. 1st edition. Olot 2015, OCLC 943687866 (Catalan). Page 219 f. Article "Claret i Vallès, Joaquim"
  3. ↑ The old manor house of Cal Marquès is currently being converted and renovated by the municipality of Camprodon. In the future, it will house a joint museum for the city's two great artists, Isaac Albéniz and Joaquim Claret. (Information from the local tourist information office, March 29, 2018)
personal data
SURNAME Claret i Vallès, Joaquim
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Claret, Joaquim
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Catalan sculptor
DATE OF BIRTH November 21, 1879
PLACE OF BIRTH Camprodon
DATE OF DEATH December 25, 1964
Place of death Olot